Ask the officer Ask the officer (September 01, 2004)

Menlo Park police officer Glenn J. Raggio answers questions about the police and law enforcement. Call 330-6396, or e-mail: asktheofficer@menlopark.org.

Q. I challenge you to show me why it is necessary for the police to drive as fast as they do!

A. Tough call. I can tell you this: our response speeds are equal to the exigency of the situation. It may appear sometimes that officers are driving too fast, even unsafely. But Menlo Park police have an excellent record in safely responding to emergencies.

As for your challenge, let's participate in a small experiment. Take a deep breath and hold it. Now, while you're holding your breath, imagine you've just had a heart attack or a stroke, or you're choking on something you ate (keep holding your breath), or the baby is having convulsions, or you're drowning, or someone has just opened your door in the middle of the night or day.

Just how fast do you want me to arrive? Go ahead, keep holding your breath. And while you're doing that, consider that even those speeding red lights and sirens won't get there, on average, for at least two to three more minutes -- and Menlo Park police are known for having a phenomenal response time.

I've been seconds early. I've been seconds late. I don't want to be seconds too late.

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